The onset of labour is a culmination of a series of highly coordinated and preparatory physiological events that take place throughout the gestational period. In order to produce the associated contractions needed for fetal delivery, smooth muscle cells in the muscular layer of the uterus (i.e. myometrium) undergo a transition from quiescent to contractile phenotypes. Here, we present the current understanding of the roles transcription factors play in critical labour-associated gene expression changes as part of the molecular mechanistic basis for this transition. Consideration is given to both transcription factors that have been well-studied in a myometrial context, i.e. activator protein 1 (AP-1), progesterone receptors (PRs), estrogen receptors (ERs), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), as well as additional transcription factors whose gestational event-driving contributions have been demonstrated more recently. These transcription factors may form pregnancy- and labour- associated transcriptional regulatory networks in the myometrium to modulate the timing of labour onset. A more thorough understanding of the transcription factor-mediated, labour-promoting regulatory pathways holds promise for the development of new therapeutic treatments that can be used for the prevention of preterm labour in at-risk women.

中文翻译：

---

分娩的转录控制：子宫肌层基因调控研究的见解。

分娩的开始是整个妊娠期发生的一系列高度协调和预备的生理事件的高潮。为了产生胎儿递送所需的相关收缩，子宫肌肉层（即子宫肌层）中的平滑肌细胞经历了从静止到收缩表型的转变。在这里，我们目前对转录因子在关键的与劳工相关的基因表达变化中所起的作用的当前理解，作为这种转变的分子机制基础的一部分。考虑了在子宫肌层环境中已被充分研究的两种转录因子，即激活蛋白1（AP-1），孕激素受体（PRs），雌激素受体（ERs）和核因子κB（NF-κB） ，以及最近已证明其妊娠事件驱动作用的其他转录因子。这些转录因子可以在子宫肌层中形成与妊娠和劳动有关的转录调节网络，以调节分娩的时间。对转录因子介导的，促进劳动的调节途径的更透彻理解为开发可用于预防高危妇女早产的新治疗方法提供了希望。